Hi All

This needs no introduction from me.
The backing track is bought and I have no control over it's content.

As I said in another thread,I am hearing a background hiss after the intro,which I
attribute to the backing track,because my intro played seperately,seems quiet ?

I have been listening to some instrumentals lately and they all seem to have no noise
at all,similar to standing in a soundproof room,which is very strange first time you do it.

Thanks for listening and suggestions/comments regarding the noise appreciated.

Alan

http://www.4shared.com/file/104102128/6bab0be9/If_I_Fell.html

Alan, are you talking about what seems like 'hiss' in the track?

I think there may be a string or 'aaahh' type pad in the backing track that has some higher end bits to it that may sound like hiss.

If you apply a 'noise reduction filter' to this backing track (which is what I would suggest you try first if you go messing with one), then much of the sparkle of the backing track will be lost - plain and simple.

I do hear some noise at the very end of the .mp3 file. You play a final chord - guitar only, and I hear some delay going and some reverb, and then just in general - fuzzy hiss right before the .mp3 cuts off.

That seems to be your guitar in isolation - I don't hear any of the backing track remaining. If it is there, it is so low in volume that you could quickly fade it out underneath that last guitar strum and remove whatever hiss is possibly there in the backing track.

What does listening to the backing track by itself sound like?

By the way - because of 4 Shared's little flash animation advertisements, I'm unable to listen to the 2nd file. I had my in-ear monitors in to listen to the .mp3 file in detail in isoloation. When I clicked your 2nd link, I nearly jumped out of my seat because the flash animation built-in to the 4shared site was so loud. I've got to let my hearing recover!

If you are asking people to listen to songs of yours, I would highly recommend finding a file sharing site that does not have this issue.

-Scott

Hi Scott

I can't even listen to the second version,so I can't comment on the problem,I
will delete it.

My apologies to your ears,I hope they will soon recover.

Also,may I say that I know the intro is not as per the original,I just wanted to post ASAP to try
and resolve the noise issue.

I will listen again to the last chord,and see if I hear what you hear.

Thanks

Alan

Hi Alan,

I downloaded the wav version only to my computer and this is what I found:

*Clean file, no noise.

*However, the Gain of the file was low. Averaging around -9dB max throughout with peaks at only the -6dB mark. While this is a good level for the recording stage perhaps, although i'd even like to see that a tad higher for better bit resolution, it can be problematic at playback of the mixed down file as you likely had to turn your amplification/monitoring system up higher than necessary at playback to get a nice level in the room.

*It may well be the case that the noise you hear comes from your soundcard/amplifier/monitoring system or PC at your end, for there is no noise worth mentioning on the file itself, I examined it visually in the Graphics View for any such problems and found none, any noise here is well below the -96 dB level and that's a good thing.

*I used Audacity to do the above and then I imposed a simple Gain Change algorithm to the entire file from start to finish. I set the Audacity Gain plugin to peak at -1.8dB, which is a good place to be that sounds musical for instrumental works and the like. That also leaves plenty of headroom below the clip point, just in case.

I then converted it to 128 mp3 file using the Lame encoder.

If_I_Fell.mp3

You can RightClick to download to your computer. You can webpublish this version. No noise to speak of.


--Mac

very nice guys!

Great job, man.

Thanks Mac

That sounds a lot better.
Question now is when to Normalise?

Also,when I mixed the song and had allt eh levels to what I thought was right,I exported
it as an MP3/Wave.
When I then imported it back into Sonar,the volume of the mixed track was distorted and
well into the red zone.
I had to use the Gain in Sonar to lower the level back to something acceptable.
If I went back to the original files and remixed to a lower volume,that's when I needed to turn up
the volume on my mixer in order to hear what I had done.
Somethings not right,but I don't have a clue what it is.

Alan

I did NOT Normalize.

All I did was Gain Change.

Made it come up into the -6dB to -1-8dB regions at the peaks.

Before, your wav was peaking at the -6dB point, sometimes peaking as low as -12dB, averaging about the midway point between there, -9dB.

That's too "quiet" for pcm digital audio on a pop song.

One also must avoid geing to loud in that respect. If it had needed more power (I don't think it does) then I would have reached for a Mastering Compressor instead. The likely reason I did not is that your backing tracks were made by pros and are likely compress mastered as they are. They sounded good and when something sounds good, I leave it alone. Your guitar evidently has compression of its own on its track, either by whatever guitar amp sim or effect you were using or perhaps by use of plugin after the fact, which I don't think is the case from what I hear, but could be.

Normalization is not a simple Gain Change. You can websearch a definition.


--Mac

Mac
In this case the Guitar went through my TLAudio Ivory 5051 mono
Processor,using the Compressor and a bit of Parametric EQ to augment my
Vox Tonelab.

Thanks for the explanation.

Alan

Very nice work Alan. The audio sounds really clean Mac.

sounds well mixed and bright.

rather like one of those Shads instrumentals of well known hits that they did in the 80s & 90s..

Nice rendition an good playing Alan.
I listened to both your version and Mac's. Mac's engineering made the song even better.

I really like your guitarsound.